Blood Moon Rising
by SerenityMoon
Summary: A SM/Buffy crossover set in post-Glory Sunnydale, after Buffy has been brought back from the dead. Sailor Moon is post-Galaxia-- A story of pain and promise, worlds blending and colliding. Nothing is as it appears.


**_Set after 'The Gift' for Buffy-verse._**

**_Set after the 'Galaxia Saga' for Moon-verse._**

**_May contain some spoilers._**

**_I own nothing._**

**_The Arrival_**

* * *

Her shiny black heels barely made a sound as she stepped off the ramp, lengths of golden blond hair blowing wild from the combined force of the turbines and wind. The sun was shining brightly, warming her body from the lingering cold the air conditioned cabin had left her with. A service guard reached to help her with her luggage, but she stopped him with a gentle wave of her hand and a sincerely grateful expression. She could get her own things. Besides, she had a little stowaway to keep from being seen.

The service guard seemed dazzled by the endless blue of her eyes, and stuttered as the mere slip of a girl easily picked up a suitcase that looked like it weighed at least what she did, slinging a carry on over her shoulder. The girl was extremely polite to anyone she passed, and he watched as she insisted on loading her own things into the cab. The guard shook his head… She'd come into Sunnydale on a small chartered jet... A pretty young thing like that wouldn't last more than a week here.

The gangs on PCP were really getting brutal come nightfall.

**

"What—Giving up already? I was just getting started…", Buffy taunted as she vaulted effortlessly over a low wrought iron fence, running full tilt towards a fledgling. The newly risen vamps were always a little more harebrained, and a little more desperate than the ones that had been around the block for a while. It made them sloppy, easy. They made stupid mistakes.

Catching up to her quarry, Buffy jerked the vampire around, using her momentum to land a brutal punch to the demon's face. Using her other hand, she gave him an uppercut, sending him stumbling backwards. He already had his game face on, and it only made it that much easier for Buffy to beat the living tar out of him. Once upon a time… Patrolling had made her feel free… Hunting, as Dracula had so accurately put it. That felt like so long ago…

Now she felt nothing at all. The only time she felt anything at all was when she was with—

Her distracted thoughts let the newbie knock her flat on her back with a sweeping kick. She hadn't expected that from him. She rolled out of the way when he tried to follow up with a foot to her ribcage. "That was a nice shot, I'll give you that—I pegged you for a couch potato nerd watching star trek-a-thons on HBO… But really, Fang face, I'm impressed. You have all the fighting skills of an eight year old boy."

"Slayer…", the vampire growled as he launched himself at her when she flipped to her feet. She fell into a roll and dodged his attack, tossing her blond hair over her shoulder.

"What--Are you gonna pull my hair next?"

The vampire scrambled to his feet, only to find her standing right in front of him—When she hadn't been seconds before. "How—", was all he managed to get out before he looked down to see a stake plunged deep into his chest cavity. He roared as he turned to dust, as they all did, falling away.

"Ashes to ashes…", Buffy muttered as she wiped off her hands, wrinkling her nose at the undead dust that was all over her blue cashmere sweater. She tried wiping it away, but it just seemed endless… At least the night wasn't a total bust. Four new vamps in one sweep… Someone wannabe-big bad in the city was getting busy.

Turning around to head back home and call it a night, she came face to face with something she had never seen before. Eyes widening, she immediately she fell into a defensive stance. It was large, and looked vaguely feminine… If you liked your insects that way. "Maybe I ought to call Xander…"

It seemed to wheeze as she started at it, not sure if it could see her or not. It's eyes were red, but blank—As if there was nothing home. It was easily the size of a rhino—How the heck anyone had missed sighting it in Sunnydale was beyond her. Maybe it was new to town. It walked on eight spindle-like legs, but it had the torso of a woman, and flexing gossamer wings coming out of its back. It had tattoos all over its face, its naughty bits hidden from view with a golden chest plate.

Ever so slowly Buffy began to reach for the dagger sheathed at her side, only to have the demon start shrieking. The once dead eyes were alight with awareness-- As if it had just woken up. Though it screamed the most high pitched, awful noise she had ever heard… Buffy got a good view of rows and rows of lethal looking teeth in its mouth before her vision swam. She hit her knees, and with more difficulty than she would ever admit, flung the dagger at the forehead of the demon—Thankfully silencing the high pitched noise.

What she hadn't counted on, was being able to see the demon groping at it's forehead with it's green skinned hands. Buffy watched with a disgusted expression as it pulled it out—Blood oozing from the hole. It sealed back up as if it had never been there, and then turned its crimson eyes to Buffy—As if truly realizing she was there for the first time. "_Give me your energy_."

"My what?", Buffy demanded, only to have to dodge out of the way of one of its razor sharp front legs. Instead of hitting her, it cleaved a gravestone clean in half. Buffy reached for the piece of marble that slid off, and whipped it the creature with both hands for lack of a better weapon. She'd lost her hand axe earlier in the night. She really didn't have any other big creature feature weapons on her.

So she fought with what she had.

Spike had said that Slayers always had to reach for their weapon… Buffy had learned long ago that she WAS a weapon. Fists flying, she tried to stay clear of its legs, as she attacked the human looking torso. But anything that could pull a dagger out of its head like that wasn't going to be the usual kill.

The demon whirled about, much faster than Buffy had given it credit for. The thing was matching her move for move. Like it was learning. Suddenly silver flashed in her vision, and the insect-demon split in half. From shoulder to… 'hip'. Behind it, she saw Spike, and immediately her temper flared. "What are you doing here? I was handling this!"

"Don't argue with me Slayer… The cemetery is crawlin with these guys. We got to get goin, you need reinforcements… and we ain't got long.", Spike instructed, his British accent clear in his tones as he looked around.

"What is this Spike… Some kind of ploy—It happened once Spike, It'll never happen again—"

"Get down, you bloody bint!"

Buffy reacted instinctively and ducked, only to put her own spin on it and roll out of the way herself, hearing a sickening crunch in her blind spot. She turned her head to see the insect demons legs still trying to attack her. Spike had used his broadsword to smash three of the legs. It seemed like it wasn't sharp enough to cut through them, they only bent-- Like a hollow tube. The torso that he had cut off turned to some kind of liquid gel, before it melted… But the really strange thing was watching the the torso grow back on the main part of the body. Buffy backed up, using her hands to propel herself to her feet. That wasn't good. Regeneration was so never good. Spike had cut that thing completely in half… But it was healing faster than she'd ever seen. She could literally see the skin knitting back together.

Another female looking demon appeared then, making clicking noises as it found the remaining goo the fallen torso had left behind. It's red eyes fell on Buffy, not seeing Spike at all. "_Energy. Give us your energy_."

It shrieked into the air briefly, and two more skittered up, assisting the fallen demon. Their eyes glittered, and they began to speak brokenly. "_Must have.._"

"_Will take_..", from another one.

"Well? What are you bloody waiting for?", Spike snarled as he reached out and grabbed her arm, hauling her to her feet, dragging her into a brisk run. He could hear the demons, or whatever they were start shrieking behind them. The sounds of them giving chase.

Buffy jerked away from him, missing the almost hurt, frustrated look on his face as she sprinted towards the exit of the cemetery. She'd been fighting all night—And now they were facing things that just regenerated with any blow they took? At least four of them? Maybe more? Her slayer senses told her to stay and fight… But her brain told her that the odds were against them. Fall back, and regroup. "We've got to get to Giles… round up the others… Giles will know… They must have a weakness—"

Suddenly light flashed behind them, bright enough that it caused them both to stop and look. The screeching, the sounds of them behind chased came to standstill. Buffy ducked behind a nearby mausoleum, and pressed herself flat to the wall—Spike following her movements. Another flash, and a tortured scream of something dying followed. Buffy tried to look around the corner, but another flash blinded her. Another dying scream. Another flash, another scream.

When Buffy stopped seeing spots, she looked around the corner of the mausoleum… The bright, silver-white light was still there... But it was dimming down. Slowly she began to make out the shape of a woman. Petite, she saw a long staff in her hand… But she couldn't see anything distinct, except the colors of her clothing. Pastel short skirts and some kind of body suit. The demons that had been chasing them lay in smoldering piles that crumbled away into ash, faster with every second.

"It's… a girl…", Buffy muttered to Spike, turning her head to look at him.

"Yeah… I'd think I'd know a bint when I see one, Buffy… Question is… Who is she, and whose side is she on?", Spike responded, before he cursed.

"What?", she demanded, irritated that they just couldn't have one week without some mysterious new apocalyptic bad guy.

"She's gone."

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?", Buffy's head snapped around so fast it hurt. There was nothing there, no light, no girl, no monsters. "Oh… Gone."

Spike snorted in response, lighting a cigarette. Swallowing a smart remark.

Buffy sighed hard. "We've got to go see Giles."

"You go pet… I'll go see what I can dig up underground. 'Sides.", Spike responded, taking a long drag of his smoke, "Wouldn' want to put ol 'Rupert's britches in a twist."

He walked off with a grin, that clearly told otherwise.

**

"And she just _disappeared_, you say?", Rupert Giles repeated for the third time, also cleaning his wire framed glasses for the third time. "And these creatures… Just healed? Grew new parts after being cut in half?"

Buffy nodded, sitting down on his couch in the flat he had kept… She was busily cleaning out a scraped knee with alcohol. "And then the parts that got cut off turned to goo—But that girl just came in and vaporized them… Giles, there was nothing left but dust… They said they wanted my energy… Whatever that means."

"Energy… Maybe a form of succubae? Do you recall any details on this mystery woman?", Giles asked Buffy, catching sight of Airport information that he'd left on the counter. As covertly as he possibly could he put them in the silver ware drawer for now, at least until she left. He didn't have the heart yet to tell her was heading back to England. She depended so much on him, emotionally, and financially… It wasn't that he minded, but it was crippling her. If he kept digging her out of trouble, she would never learn to live on her own.

And if he stayed here, he wouldn't be able to say no when she had a problem. One puppy eyed cheerleader look from her, and he caved. He couldn't stand to see his Slayer suffer.

Part of his inability to try not to baby her stemmed from the fact that he hadn't been around to stop Willow and the others from bringing her back.

He'd let them tear her out of heaven.

Buffy's face was still screwed up in thought… "We were close… But I couldn't hear anything, and I couldn't make out any details… It was like.. Every time I tried to look at her face, or figure out any details about her, my gaze would just slide off. All I can remember… It's all silver and white.."

"That's bracing.", Giles responded , taking off his glasses again, wiping them clean. "That part at least makes sense… It sounds like she's using a glamour, magic, to shield her identity. I've never heard of one strong enough that one couldn't recall any details at all… They tend to fade, and change with the length they are used."

"I'll contact Tara and see if she might know a spell that removes them."

Buffy's head perked up, and she tilted her head. "Tara? Why not Willow? I thought she was stronger..."

"Willow is…", Giles trailed off, searching for the right words. Willow was becoming to dependent on magic…"I don't want to burden her.. I think this is something Tara would well be able to handle."

"Oh…", Buffy replied, dwelling on it for less than a second, before another thought entered her head…"And there were four new vamps in one cemetery tonight…"

"_Four_?"

"Four."

"Oh dear lord.", Giles sat down on the couch beside her, setting down a tray with soda for Buffy, and tea for himself. He sighed heavily… "Tell the others, research at the Magic Box tomorrow… We need more information. It seems like we might have several new enemies... Maybe an ally."

Buffy snorted, "An ally? Right."

**

"The previous renter seemed to have up and vanished one day… We haven't had any other tenants in eight or nine months now. We've had professional cleaners come through and thoroughly clean and sterilize the entire building. ", the property manager spoke cordially, as they took the elevator up to the apartment suite on the top floor. It was a beautiful area… A huge yard, set away from the hustle and bustle… It was a two floor building that looked like it had once been an office of some kind. The elevator only went up two floors and down one. "When Michelle told me that her niece was coming to stay in California for awhile—I just knew this place would be perfect. She told me all about how you love a view and nice open spaces… It comes furnished."

Usagi…now known as Serena simply nodded along with everything the property manager was saying. Thanks to Luna, she knew English just as well as she knew Japanese. She had been outraged when she found out that her adviser could mind meld a language into your brain—Just like a magic Rosetta Stone. If only Luna would have let her learn English like this in high school… The dark haired woman before her opened the double doors at the end of the hall, and Serena gasped.

It was a luxury penthouse apartment indeed… Rounded couches and spiral staircases. It looked like someone with very good taste and lived here before her.

"—And we had to have the Hazmat team come through. As well as Bio-Hazard..."

"Wait…Why did you have to have those teams come through?", Serena questioned, having spaced out on the loveliness of the apartment while the woman was speaking. Bio-Hazard?

The woman looked at her for a long moment, a slight blush tingeing her cheeks. "Oh.. It's just standard.."

Serena raised a golden brow, and crossed her arms… She had gotten very good at telling when people were lying to her, or hiding things. She picked up the same facial ticks and expressions in others, that she had dealt with for years in herself, when she had no other choice but to lie to her parents. It saddened her that she needed to hone in on that skill…

Moments later, under her fathomless blue gaze, the woman's resolve crumbled…

"I shouldn't be telling you this… But we found strange things in here. There were stains that looked like... well… blood… I bet it was only dried ketchup, nail polish, or hair dye... The woman who was living here before was a real prima donna. When she moved in, three trucks full of clothes and shoes followed her… But we had to have all the carpets replaced. And there were these old books everywhere…Just left here… Chains coming from the ceiling. And the weirdest of all was that on some of the walls… There was nothing but 'My Key', written all over them in green sharpie…", the property manager spilled, hoping that this didn't put her friends niece off about the place. Most people, she knew, would be weirded out… But Michelle had told her to trust Serena, so she would. " I think the woman was really a movie star under cover, or they were trying to film a movie secretly here…I know it sounds crazy… But odd things happen in this town all the time. An undercover movie star would totally blend in here…But really, Sunnydale is a good place…"

"Oh—I bet it is…", Serena stated with a small smile. Michelle had done her best to warn her what had been here before her. When she moved in, she would need to purify the grounds… Set up some wards, just in case some youma, or demon got to ambitious. There were still some basic magics she could do as Serena, not Sailor Moon, or Serenity. "I think I'll take it… I really do like this place. It has nice security… Being on a second level and all."

The woman beamed and began to prattle off about paperwork.

Serena only sighed, and got ready for a long afternoon as her stomach growled.

**

"So… It's been a week… And suddenly there's nothing. No vamps, no insect ladies—To which Giles still can't find anything about.", Buffy pouted as she sat next to Xander in the Magic Box. There were ancient tomes all over the large round table. They were all supposed to be in research mode. Dawn was sitting at the other end of the table, supposedly doing homework. Buffy could tell from the doodling in the corners of the note book that she was very hard at work. "There's something going on, and I can feel it… I just don't know what it is yet… This is… _The ubersuck_."

"Aw... Come on Buff… Can't undead Americans take a vacation for a little while—You know, fly to Hawaii and catch some rays?", Xander joked, before balking at the dirty look the slayer shot him. His hands went up in the universal sign for surrender, "I kid I kid…"

"I mean.. I can't believe that all supernatural activity has just… Stopped.", Buffy stated as she rest her elbow on the table, sighing heavily. She was getting a headache from all the research, reading books that were all making a sort of sense that wasn't. Not to mention that some were so boring, she had dozed off for a second reading the last one.

"Well… What if it hasn't?", Anya interjected as she walked around the temporarily customer-less store. She held a duster in her right hand, blond hair pulled up into a partial chignon. "I mean… We are on a Hellmouth, a mystical center of convergence.. I really don't think evil takes a trip to Tahiti, unless something nastier than it is has come to town. "

Buffy groaned louder at the thought…"Something worse? Anya… I don't think I can take something worse."

"Just saying…", Anya defended as she dusted off the jar that held the dried chicken feet. " I don't think the vamps and demons have gone anywhere... This is like their home base, fall back point. They usually run TO the Hellmouth. It's easier for them to blend in..."

"I know...It just doesn't make sense.", Buffy sighed as she ran a hand through her hair as she flipped pages in some text she could just barely make out a few words in. She wasn't sure what language it was, but she'd spent so long looking at ancient Sumerian, it was starting to look less like funky symbols, and more like words. She flipped a page again, and stopped at the picture she saw. "Hey… Giles—_Giles_!"

It looked like a copy of a mural… There was a single fighter battling off against hordes of demons… What tipped Buffy off was the fact that one way or another, all of the demons looked female. Although some seemed more ferocious than others… They all looked like demons to her. But the warrior in the middle made her stare… She couldn't make out any features… But everything onthe faded page seemed to be painted in a washed out shade of grey and white.

"Yes? What is it?", Giles responded, coming out of his book induced trance that he usually fell into when the research started. Seeing Buffy staring at a book, he came around the other side of the table to see what she saw. Reading the ancient text over her shoulder, he translated what she had been unable… "And so it was that the darkness was banished. Verily the world may rejoice. Thy light of hope, thy only hope. The warrior of light to cut through the darkness…_ Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae…_ The light will save us all."

"What does that mean?", Xander was the first to speak up, leaning the chair back on two legs. That didn't seem much like a prophecy of doom and gloom. And he considered him an expert on such things.

"It's…", Giles flipped the book over and read the title, squinting in the noon day sun. "It's a book of folklore...Salve Regina… It's praising some mythical… holy... Queen."

"Well… There we go. Just like Hansel and Gretel—", Buffy interjected, reminding the others of the times when they had fought against a fairy tale demons. Not that they weren't real.. Just that their handywork over the years was hidden in myths so the general public could deal. "Giles… I don't have anything else to go off of… Spike and I couldn't even touch these things."

"Spike? You talked to Spike? I haven't seen him at all lately. I thought you two were fighting..", Dawn piped up over her math homework, chewing on the pen cap.

Buffy glared at Dawn, and didn't even bother to respond. Sometimes, having a sister was a pain.

Giles looked skeptical, and nodded reluctantly.. "As we haven't had any other leads… This is as good as any. If all else fails, I can attempt to utilize my contacts on the council to glean some information… Has anyone heard from Willow or Tara?"

"No—Will is too busy in geek-o-rama this afternoon. I think she dragged Tara long. Her favorite new idol, this doctor from Japan is in town giving a little Q and A over at the college.", Xander supplied, sounding just a little bitter that Willow was off fawning over some doctor. He was willing to bet any money that this guy was a fraud, and older than dirt. "They should be by soon… Will is writing a paper on this guy."

"Willow, willow willow…Don't you ever talk about anything el—Why hello, welcome to the Magic Box. Care to spend your money?", Anya turned on the charm as she heard the bell over the door go off, and she rushed to greet the customer at the door. "We're having specials on chickens feet…"

Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies heaved a collective sigh as Anya was distracted from another tirade. Buffy toyed with her pencil, staring and the fading colored photograph. The colors had faded and dulled with age… But she could still get the idea of what it had once been. Some ancient artist, or painter, had spent so much detail on the warrior in the middle. It was then that she noticed the distinctive feminine shape of the fighter… "We've got to sort this out fast Giles…"

"Rose quartz is ideal for purification spells, and a good focusing stone for good luck charms.", Anya pointed out to the small, golden haired human female that had come into the store. She was short, and about the size of Buffy. But she looked so young, and seemed so innocent… Even Anya had to grudgingly admit the girl was drop dead stunning.

All the more reason to keep her away from Xander.

"Thank you... I'll take one of those then, and I'll need some holy water as well as the things on the list I gave you…", Serena responded lightly, looking at the pretty crystal with a faint smile.

"That's a pretty big list for a little girl like you… Are you sure you need all this? Are you trying to purify half a city block?", Anya questioned, becoming slightly skeptical. No one bought this much eye of newt at once unless they were planning something big.

"It's for a plot of land my family is buying… We want to make sure that nothing unseemly took place there.", the golden haired girl spoke flawlessly, adding a charming smile that seemed to disarm the suspicious saleswoman. "They've heard about the rumors of Sunnydale.."

Anya felt her suspicions fade as the girl spoke, and she nodded her head. It was tricky business buying land around this area… Her parents must have been smart enough to know not to buy something without making sure the land wasn't consecrated to the devil first. What a deal breaker.

The ex-vengeance demon rang the girl out, wrapping up the breakables, before she sent her on her way. Someone about her made her want to ask her to stay… But that wouldn't be normal human behavior at all. Fact was, Anya had never seen her before at all. She would have remembered a girl with eyes that blue, and slightly exotic features. Sighing, she shook her head and started counting the money while the others kept researching.

**

"And you are sure that it was her?"

"I'm sure. Can't you feel it Luna? She feels… Old. I felt so much pain…She felt like… like…"

"Like death."

"Yes."

"That doesn't mean anything. You could have been sensing a vampire."

"In the middle of a sunny magic shop? She didn't feel evil. But I could tell she was more than the others."

"More?"

"More. Different. Like me."

"Oh Usa…Serena… _No one_ is like you."

Luna affectionately nipped at her cheek as Serena finished setting up the white candles in the dining room of her shared luxury penthouse apartment. The windows were all open, letting in a warming breeze… The air smelled of apple… But everything seemed… Almost sinister. Even the walls, painted a neutral cream seemed ominous. It had been a few days since her trip to the Magic Box... She had needed to acquire a few more things before she could set up the wards and purify the space. Reinforce the shield that kept vampires out. Serena smiled and reached out to pet the cat, her grin widening as she felt her advisor begin to purr.

"I'm just about ready…Ma--Darien will be bringing our things over from the hotel soon… He's been so busy giving talks and touring the local college here… We're both so busy, I never get to see him.", Serena whined lightly, causing Luna to laugh. Her charge had grown into quite the young woman… But some habits died hard. "And I have a gig at that club, the Bronze tonight… And I have to do a sweep. The youma have been relentless lately… There's been so many. I don't know if I can keep doing this every night."

Serena centered herself amidst the candles and steaming urns of… Things she would rather not mention. Earth magic was so hard to channel… She preferred her own. But this was safer so close to the Hellmouth. Clasping her hands, she closed her eyes and began to pray. A silver light began to surround her, and slowly shadows began to rise from the area… More and more, dark energy that had been poured into the area to darken the nexus of neutral energy that was beneath the building moved towards her. Called by her light, tendrils of her own silvery-white energy reached out and chased them away.

Luna watched with baited breath, her paws covering her ears as the shadows howled. Ghosts of people and things that had been killed here. Angry ghosts. Serena never even flinched as they lashed out at her, and Luna looked on with pride. She had grown so, so much… Enough to undo the evil that the former goddess Glorificus had wrought here. It hadn't been hard to find out who, or what had lived there last… Trista had been more than helpful with that. After all-- It had nothing to do with the future.

When the howling, swirling dark stopped.. The apartment was lighter, brighter. Birds outside could be heard singing as one by one the candles went out.

The golden haired girl sighed and opened her eyes, slightly out of breath as she rose to her feet. "There. That wasn't so hard."

And with that, she started cleaning up the mess.

The black cat with the strange crescent moon bald spot seemed to get teary eyed then…Serena really had grown up.

**

"Are you sure this was a good idea? I mean… There's some big bad on the loose… Shouldn't we be... Oh, I don't know… Looking for it?", Tara asked Willow as they sat at the Bronze, sipping on what Xander had promised, were virgin sodas. Only, he had brought Willow's with a stick of maraschino cherries in it. He knew she loved them. "I don't know if I can have fun… My stomach is all in knots."

"Oh baby..", Willow leaned over in her stool, and half hugged Tara, a had on her stomach as she sought to sooth her. "Buffy and Giles said that there isn't anything we can do now but wait…Dawnie is spending the night with Marie, the girl across the street… We might as well wait here. Buffy said that the things wanted energy… Where else in Sunnydale would they go for that on a Friday night?"

"That's true…", Tara acquiesced, leaning into her girlfriends arms as they watched Anya and Xander bicker and dance at the same time. Who knew what they were arguing about this time… Tara was only glad she was out of the blast zone. "I guess it doesn't help that Eclipse is singing tonight. This place is packed.."

Suddenly the lights dimmed further, and blue lights lit up the stage. The MC called the crowd to a stop with a few well placed jeers… A slow, thrumming beat began to fill the air, and what sounded like violin followed. It was an intoxicating mix that made most people stare at the stage—It was so different than the techno they'd been enjoying moments before, and a cold draft swept over the dance floor…"Introducing--- Eclipse!"

The drummer in black paused as he caught a flash of white out of the corner of his eye, and he tapped a triangle lightly, pumping the bass drum as the lead singer of Eclipse made her way onto the stage. He had worked with her a few times… But he was never prepared for seeing her. She was pale, like some people in Sunnydale strangely were… But her hair swirled down near her ankles—Eyes bluer than than a cloudless sky. She had a figure that was unreal… But all of that didn't compare to her voice. Only the thought of his girlfriend watching from the crowd made him close his mouth and stop drooling.

She started singing, and he went with it—Her music was like a force of nature. Couldn't stop it... Just go with it.

Willow couldn't take her eyes off of the girl that had just taken the stage. She blinked, once, twice—But no, she was still there. Glancing at Tara, she noticed that her lover was just as enthralled. Where she knew she should have felt jealous, any unpleasant emotion she felt was washed away when the girl started singing. It tugged at her heart… "I didn't know she was this good…"

"What's going on? This place is full, but it—", Buffy arrived, trailing off, seeming to zone out on the singing, just like everyone else... The band tonight was really, really good. The girl singing looked slightly familiar to her, but clad in a pale blue sleeveless formal dress that swept the floor, sparkles going up one side... She looked like a glittering porcelain doll... Or a movie star—Buffy couldn't place where she'd seen her. Even with her hair in the strange style it was in… For sure, she thought she would remember someone with hair THAT long. God, what conditioner did she use? "It's… dullsville on the dance floor but…Yeah…Wow."

_"Fighting for no reward…Come in the rain, I'm tossing and turning… Your words ever burning my heart…_", Serena sang softly into the microphone, her eyes trained on a pair of stormy blue eyes in the back of the club. He gave her courage. She couldn't do this without him. She had written this song with Rei weeks ago… They'd both started writing together once they'd graduated. It was fun to write things for the festivals. Not to mention they'd both found out from Luna that Serenity had been the best singer across the face of the Moon... Serena had been determined that there was something Serenity could do, that she could do better. Singing was the first thing. _"Love's an electric storm…Of pleasure and pain where thunder and lightening are crashing and striking us down…"_

"_Two people shipwrecked…Stranded alone… Praying for dry land… To save our souls…Hurricane season… Just knocked us down…Emotional suicides… Running around… Fighting for no reward…"_, Serena went on, swaying back and fourth to the beat. Slowly the couples on the floor started to dance again, and even people in the back shuffled their feet. Throwing herself into the song, she, her voice rose and feel—Careening with the song when necessary. _"I won't give up, never never—I won't be struck by the weather… Hold on, when the winds so strong… Tell me— How will we find our way home…"_

Buffy sat down next to Tara and Willow, feeling the song run through her—Usually she didn't take any stock in music… But this was one of those that would stay with her. Anything that could… Capture a crowd like this, and at the Bronze no less…Yes, that would stay with her… As the first song ended, she bumped into her best friend. "Please, tell me they're selling her CD here… I bet Dawn would love it."

Willow had to drag her eyes from the gorgeous woman on stage, and coughed lightly to hide how hard she had been staring. Not only was the girl drop dead meow… But she had…power. She could feel it, just barely… As if she were doing a very, very good job hiding it—Or she really had it, and didn't know it. "They might be… You could ask after she's done… Skin Corpse is on after Eclipse… I don't know how they'll manage to top that—"

"Whoa, hold that thought Wills... Check out the hottie—nine o'clock", Buffy interrupted Willow in mid sentence, causing both girls to look in the wrong direction. "Nooo.. this nine, that's three…"

There were times when she really missed Riley.

Willow looked in the other direction, following Buffy's gaze… And despite her preference for the ladies, had to admit that Buffy knew how to pick them. He was tall, and had a perfect tan, a chiseled jaw line… Midnight hair swept off to one side, and stormy blue eyes. With a start, the red headed Wiccan realized she knew him.

"_Buffy_! That's… That's Dr Shields... He's that prodigy in health sciences from Japan. He's never even had to finish medical school because he passed the qualifying exams three years early with flying colors… Tara and I saw him in a debate today! His theory on molecular distortion and reapplication is amazing... And he's only minored in Physics…", Willow explained, and before she could descend into geek-babble—Tara placed a hand on her arm with a small giggle, and Willow blushed.. "In short… He's a genius—Smarter than I am. And incredibly wealthy… He's not that much older than we are… I think twenty four, or twenty five…"

"No one is smarter than you Wills…", Buffy admonished with a smile, watching her friend blush faintly from the off handed compliment. But she couldn't keep her eyes off of this… Mysterious, doctor that could easily be on the front cover of every magazine. Easily, he was one of the most attractive men she had ever laid eyes on… Angel aside. This guy has a pulse. He must have been really something to impress Willow… She knew she probably wasn't his type… He was all smart… And she was all… emotional train wreck.. But as he sat there, eyes trained to the stage, sipping what looked like straight black coffee… She felt drawn to him in a way that was inexplicable…She felt a flicker of what she used to feel… Emotions that she hadn't felt since she'd been brought back. Fire. "I'm going to ask him to dance."

"Really?", Willow asked, eyes widening slightly, before she beamed excitedly. She was extatic that Buffy was trying to make an investment in the world. Besides, If anyone could get a date out of an internationally known most eligible bachelor…It was Buffy. "That's great, it's just what you need... Good Luck!"

Buffy nodded, and slid off the stool her drink in hand…Expression souring. "I don't know what to say."

"Say anything…", Tara encouraged wish a slightly bashful tilt of her head… "E-Either he'll like you or he won't… Just be you."

Buffy nodded, adjusting her golden, backless, minidress. She wore a pair of high heels, her hair piled up on top of her head… Catching a glance at herself in the bar mirror, she nodded her head. Peach paradise lipstick perfect, she nodded to herself again, just trying to put one foot in front of the other. As she neared him… Her mouth went dry.

" Are we enjoying the show?", she questioned from beside him, careful to speak loud enough that she could be heard. God... He was so salty goodness. He was… She couldn't even put it into words. How could Will have gone to this Q and A and not taken her?

The dark haired Adonis looked away from the stage, seeming surprised that she was there. "Excuse me?"

"I asked if you were enjoying the show..", Buffy repeated, feeling stunned with the full weight of his gaze on her. Up close, she could see that his eyes really were an azure blue. Sp deep and dark... For a doctor, they were so secretive and mysterious. A girl could get lose in eyes like that. She could also see from the visible muscles in his lower arms that he worked out. "She's really good, isn't she.."

The man suddenly seemed to comprehend what she was saying, and Buffy melted as he smiled. "Yes, she is quite good. Extraordinary, in fact."

"I've never heard her before… Have you?", she went on, glancing down at her feet every few moments. She felt like he was scrutinizing her… Not in a bad way… But analyzing her nonetheless.

"Oh yes… Many times Miss…", he replied, trailing off, a faint smirk crossing his features. If only she knew how many times.

"Oh—Buffy… My name is Buffy, Buffy Summers..", she spoke quickly, trying to cover up the faux pas of not introducing herself. This was not high school Buffy—This was I've died for the world Buffy… Would the art of dating never get easier?

Darien quirked a brow at her name, but said nothing of it, having heard worse… Instead, ever the gentleman, he offered her his hand as his eyes flickered back to the stage. "Good to meet you Miss Summers"

"Buffy, just call me Buffy…", the slayer automatically corrected, before punctuating her words with a laugh as she shook his hand. A strange sensation, raw and strong went through her, making her forget to let go of his hand.

"Then call me Darien…", he responded, a slightly foreign accent to his name as he spoke, releasing her hand not a moment before it might have gotten awkward.

Silence descended; that ill at ease silence that usually signaled a conversation was at an end… But Buffy was determined, and she coughed slightly to get his attention. "How are you enjoying Sunnydale? My friend said that she saw you at a debate?"

"It's very… Sunny..", '_Full of the undead_..', he responded in a non committal fashion, a faint shrug to his shoulders. Glancing back at her from the stage, his head tilted. "Have you lived here long?"

"Several years now yes..", Buffy replied, her hands crossing behind her back as she started working up the courage.

That silence descended again. It was a blow to the ego to make a play for a guy that didn't even seem to want to give you the time of day. Maybe he was the strong, silent type.

"I really like this song—Want to dance?", Buffy offered, crossing her fingers.

Darien looked at her, obvious surprise in his eyes. That took him off guard. He'd never even met her before, and here she was, asking him to dance. He admired her courage… He knew that he wasn't the most open man in the world. Looking back at the stage, at his beautiful, sweet princess, he shook his head and politely declined… "I'm sorry, but I'm here waiting for someone."

"Oh? Oh—Oh I'm sorry… I didn't realize... I just saw you sitting here alone and figured that you might be here alone—Not to say that you couldn't not be alone, I just didn't think—"

Darien laughed, for the first time in the conversation, the blue of his eyes lightening by shades as he cut her off with a wave of his hand. He thought fondly, that she reminded him of Mina, at which the way the girl could babble. "Please… There's nothing to apologize for. I'm honored that you would ask."

A little voice tingled in the back of his mind, soft and sweet…

"You know what?", he spoke as he set his black coffee down on the high table, offering his hand to her…"I have a feeling… That while I'm waiting… Just one dance won't hurt.."

Buffy took his hand again, and felt a faint tremor go up her spine as emotion flooded her just like before… It was like a door opened that she had long since closed. He led her out onto the dance floor of the Bronze, and she stared at his chest for several moments, his hand wrapped politely around her own, his other hand modestly on her waist. Buffy was speechless.

"So who is this friend of yours that attended my debate?". He questioned lightly, and she could feel his voice, a deep baritone vibrate in his chest like a big lion. She could feel now, that he was very well toned—And well balanced from the way he held himself.

"Oh—Her name is Willow. She's my best friend. She really thinks highly of you."

"Does she?", he led as they danced, something she wasn't used to—Usually, she was the one leading.

Buffy nodded, feeling unusually quieted. Like for the moment.. The Slayer inside was satiated… Sleeping. It was so strange to feel content in a room full of people. "Are you staying in Sunnydale long?"

"As long as I'm needed. It depends, really..", Darien responded, truthfully. He wasn't sure if he would be staying a week, or a year. If they would survive the next day, was always in question. "My studies dominate most of my life, I'm afraid."

"Oh—Well you know what they say about all work and no play.."

Darien laughed, "I do. I'm the poster child for it."

Buffy chuckled, marveling at how…Proper he seemed to dance. His hands never strayed from the small of her waist--- Eyes never strayed from her face. Either he was gay, or excessively respectful. She sighed happily—In seventh heaven..

Until the screaming started.

* * *

_**Let me know what you think. Please, be kind. **_

_**SerenityMoon**_


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